Fire-extinguishing process



Patented July 7, 1931 UNITED STAT CHRISTIAN SCHNEIDER, OF NEUROESSEN,GERMANY,

:1? F F i Q ASSIGNOR TO I. G. FARBEN- CORPORATION OF GERMANYFIRE-EXTINGUISHING PROCESS No Drawing. Application filed March 7, 1929,

The extinguishing of fires of combustibles, such as coal, brown coal,and partlcularly of finely divided comb'uistibles, such as coal 5example, soaps or saponin, but the sulphonation products of organiccompounds, namely sulphuric esters or sulphonic acids and particularlytheir salts, which are equivalents to the said esters or acids for thepurposes of the present invention, are most efiicient. The saidsulphuric esters and sulphonic acids comprise Turkey red oil and similarac1d sulphuric esters of fats and oils or fatty acids and the sulphonicacids of aliphatic,

cycloaliphatic, partially hydrogenated aromatic and monoor poly-nucleararomatic compounds, and especially those of the cyclic compounds whichare substituted by alkyl or aralkyl radicals. Also mixtures composed ofsuch sulphonation products or the mixtures obtainable by sulphonatingmineral oils or tars or fractions thereof can be favorably employed.These materials can be employed as such or in the form of their saltsand can be either added to the water, or the readily inflammablesubstances canbe sprayed therewith so that, in the case of 1gnition, theburning substances are thoroughly and quickly penetrated by the watersprayed thereon and thereby wetted.

When a highly movable burning combustlble, such as fine brown-coal dustis to be extinguished, the solutions according to the present inventionare preferably sprayed by means of a nozzle onto the burning material inorder to avoid flame jets.

The amount of the material to be employed which is capable of reducingthe surface tension of water can be varied within wide limits, even avery small percentage by Serial No. 345,223, and in Germany March 14,1928.

weight of the water employed, or of the combustibles, being mosteilicient.

It was to be expected that on spraying solutions of the aforesaidwetting agents a combustion thereof would occur prior to the wettingaction, but this is not the case. The solutions prepared and appliedaccording to the present invention exhibit the particular advantage overthe hitherto known foam producing fire extinguishing agents whichcontain protective colloids, such as glue or aluminium hydroxide, thatthere is formed practically no foam on the combustibles, which agents inmany cases would render the combustibles useless for-their originaldestination.

The following examples will further illustrate the nature of the saidinvention, but the invention is not limited to these examples.

E wample 1 From 1 to 2 parts of the sodium salt of a naphthalenesulphonic acid containing one or more propyl or butyl groups in itsmolecule are added to each 100 parts of water. On extinguishing fires,such as burning brown coal, by spraying the said mixture onto theburning material, the mixture penetrates the burning material much morequickly than pure water, so that a striking result as regards extinctionis produced. Instead of the aforementioned salts, grain soap, Turkey redoil or similar compounds can be employed, but the aforesaid salts aremore efficient.

Example 2 Burning linseed is easily extinguished by adding to the waterintended for extinguishing, about 1 per cent its weight of a butylatednapthalene sulphonic acid, and spraying or spurting the solution ontothe burning material.

E trample 3 Burning brown coal dust deposited in a closed room is easilyextinguished by introducing wet steam into the same after the steam hasbeen loaded with a highly efficient wetting agent, such as sulphonatedmineral oil or tar oil or naphthenic acid or tall oil sulphonationproducts, butylated, amylated or benzylated napthalene sulphonic acidsor naphthalene sulphonic acids containing several of the aforesaidsubstituents, for example benzyl iso-propyl napthalene sulphonic acidand chlorinated sulphonic acids of the aforesaid series, for example, bypassing a solution thereof or by spraying steam and the solution througha mixing nozzle.

hat I claim is:

1. A process for extinguishing fire which comprises bringing a diluteaqueous solu tion of a highly effective wetting agent containing an acidgroup into contact with the burning material.

A process for extinguishing fire which comprises bringing dilute aqueoussolution of a strongly wetting sulphonation product of an organiccompound into contact with the burning material.

3. A process for extinguishing fire which comprises bringing a diluteaqueous solution of a strongly wetting sulphonation prod uct of amixture or organic compounds into contact with the burning material.

4. A process for extinguishing fire which comprises bringing a diluteaqueous solution of a sulphonic acid of an aromatic compound intocontact with the burning material.

5. A process for extinguishing fire which comprises bringing a diluteaqueous solution of a sulphonic acid of a polynuclear aromatic compoundinto contact with the burning material.

6. A process for extinguishing fire which comprises bringing a diluteaqueous solution of a sulphonic acid of an aromatic compound containingan alkyl radicle in its molecule into Contact With the burning material.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

CHRISTIAN SCHNEIDER.

